Five athletes who’ve confronted sports-related injuries with hope, wisdom and courage and come out stronger on the other side.

Five years ago, running was my life. It was the perfect package of fitness, friendship and competition, all wrapped up in a shiny coat of endorphins. It was my therapy after the breakup of a four-year relationship and my secret to staying slender, despite a daily ice cream habit. So in 2008, when a string of injuries intruded on my running career, I felt stripped of my identity.

In an ideal runner's world, every step of every mile would be 100 percent pain-free. No aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday's workout. The reality is that many runners constantly deal with a slight (or not so slight) disturbance—a tender foot, a tight hamstring, a whiny knee. While these nagging issues often aren't serious enough to require a time-out, they are annoying, especially when they don't let you fully enjoy your time on the roads.